Author: Steve Hayslip

It’s been almost five years since the news of a sexual assault on the Vanderbilt campus rocked Nashville. Four football players were identified as suspects and charged. Three were convicted, and last week, the final suspect, Jaborian ‘Tip’ Mackenzie admitted his guilt and entered a plea agreement. Deputy DA Roger Moore and ADA Jan Norman stressed to the media how courageous and brave the victim in this case has been. Here are links to the local media covering the plea agreement on May 21st.

Defendant Shandejah Stone was found guilty of assault last week after a Facebook feud amongst former best friends led to one attacking the other in a local daycare parking lot. The victim was slung to the ground, beaten and kicked in the face. The facts show that the defendant continued to brag about her beating on facebook after being arrested. Assistant District Attorney Vince Wyatt spelled it all out for the jury in Criminal Court Division VI, but says this case would not have been a success if not for everyone’s involvement! ADA Wyatt credits Victim Witness Coordinator Brittany LaDuke for fantastic witness coordinating, investigator Steve Turner for tracking down an uncooperative eyewitness, and summer intern Luis Casas for legal research and tracking down an additional facebook video of the incident posted by the defendant. Total team effort!

Aggravated robbery suspect Precious Horton was found guilty last week of two counts of aggravated robbery in what is being described as one of the quickest verdicts EVER in Davidson County! Credit for the swift justice goes to Assistant District Attorney and Criminal Court Division III Team Leader Megan King, along with Assistant District Attorney Byron Pugh, investigator David Zoccola, and Victim Witness Coordinator Caroline Brown. Quick Facts:This is the so-called ’15 minute verdict’ case! That’s the time it took for a jury to find the defendant, Precious Horton guilty on two counts of aggravated robbery. Megan King and Byron Pugh presented a rock solid case, explaining how Horton approached the two victims at the Target in the Rivergate area three years ago, crying that her boyfriend had left her and she simply needed a ride. Once in the car however, Horton pulled a gun, robbed the two good Samaritans, and then drove off with their car. She was arrested days later with the victim’s car being dismantled. Praise to Detective David Zoccola for helping track down the people involved, and also Victim Witness Coordinator Caroline Brown, who helped calmed the nerves of a witness that was very upset after testifying.

Defendant Karlus Branch was found guilty last week of second degree murder (Range 2) and two counts of reckless endangerment. In her very first case of being the lead prosecutor in a murder trial, Assistant District Attorney Addie Askew was convincing in her facts and arguments. She also credits Assistant District Attorney Joey Clifton, Victim Witness Coordinator Megan Chalk, Investigator Randy Martin, and Detective Jessie Holt from the Metro Police department. Quick Facts: 22-year-old Karlus Branch was in the James Cayce homes in May 2016 when he claims he was confronted by Ronnie Foxx, who was there visiting his girlfriend. Branch claimed he asked Foxx about an alleged assault when he felt ‘threatened’ and started firing his gun that he ‘always had loaded’ in his pocket. He testified that he thought Foxx also had a gun, but when testifying, ADA Askew kept asking Branch why every witness testified that there was NO gun on the victim and no weapon was found beside his body. The jury agreed with the state on Askew’s very first FIRST CHAIR murder case that she’s taken from indictment to verdict. The state presented the case in a courtroom packed with emotional family members, which Megan Chalk handled with care and compassion. Praise also goes to Investigator Randy Martin and Detective Jessie Holt for getting witnesses to come forward and help bring justice to the family of Ronnie Foxx.

Criminal Court Division I with Judge Steve Dozier saw DEFENDANT Charvaris Newsom found guilty last week of first degree felony murder and especially aggravated robbery.
Assistant District Attorney Chandler Harris … Team Leader Wesley King … VWC Cathy Harrison … Investigator Randy Martin … and Supervisor Dona Murphy all worked long hours to bring justice to the victim’s family.
Quick facts: The victim, Ian Patterson came to James Cayce homes in October 2015 to buy a gun from an acquaintance, Quantarius Newsom. Upon arrival, Quantarius and the defendant, Charvaris Newsom robbed Patterson in his car. As he got out of the back seat, Charvaris shot him … leaving an important fingerprint on the car. Another robbery and shooting days later linked Charvaris’ prints and casings to the Patterson murder. Adding to that, Quantarius testified against his cousin. Information also came in from the cousins during their time behind bars about a ‘get out of jail for the murder’ plan. ADA Harris worked LONG HOURS at the office last weekend putting all the pieces of this complicated puzzle together, but gives total credit to the team: “This result was the epitome of a team effort and absolutely could not have occurred without the help of Wesley King, Randy Martin, Cathy Harrison, and the fantastic work of the MNPD – particularly Det. Adam Weeks.”

Council Paper Report 2017

Mohamed Almahmmody Found Guilty

GUILTY on all counts. These are the moments in Division II Criminal Court this afternoon after 25-year-old Mohamed Almahmmody was found guilty on all counts. The jury took less than 3 hours to convict the Nashville man of premeditated murder and three counts of aggravated assault. Here, Natasha Fite, the mother of murder victim Kenneth Hatcher breaks down in tears as she thanks Deputy District Attorney General Amy Hunter. The family also is seen embracing ADA Joey Clifton and Victim Witness Coordinator Megan Chalk. Their words: “Thank You .. Justice Served. Kenny can finally Rest In Peace..”